U.S. warship rescues Filipino fishermen from sinking

MANILA, Philippines — A U.S. Navy warship has rescued five Filipino fishermen after helicopter pilots spotted them flashing a lighter in the middle of the night while standing on the roof of their sinking boat.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Manila, Tina Malone, said Wednesday that the fishing boat had started taking on water the previous day.

A Navy helicopter discovered the fishermen in international waters close to midnight. The guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell, which was closest to the scene, launched two boats to rescue them.

Malone said the fishermen were given a checkup and found to be in good health. They will be brought ashore when the USS McCampbell arrives in Manila on Wednesday as part of a five-day goodwill visit by the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group.